I read with great interest Jerry Vaughn’s letter from March 4, titled “GOP and worn-out rhetoric.”

At first I was amused that a letter writer who criticized right-wing hate radio could fit that many incendiary and angry phrases into one letter. I actually sat down and wrote out a list of them, thinking that I would list them here. Ultimately that would be counterproductive.

Instead, I have spent the time thinking about this letter, and the time since the election, thinking about what the Republican Party can do to appeal to the people in the 30th District, our state and our country at large.

As chairman of the 30th District Republican Party, it’s my job to consider such things. Ultimately, I do not believe that the central tenets of Republicanism are worn-out rhetoric. Instead, they are closely-held beliefs about the role of government and how the people relate to their government.

Republicans believe in the following:

• Responsive, local and small government;

• A focus on individual liberty and freedom;

• Personal responsibility and accountability;

• And to provide for a strong national defense.

The list could go on for some time, but this is the most condensed list, in my opinion. There is no doubt that mistakes were made by my party in the past eight years. We drifted from these core principles of small, limited government and instead spent far beyond our means. However, the current crisis is by no means the sole responsibility of any party. What we need to do is work together get beyond this crisis, while at the same time respecting the values and principles that made this country great.

Now is a good time for our party to re-tool and apply our ideals to the current set of problems. It is our hope to do so in a manner that this is constructive and productive. We aspire, not to be a party of “no,” but to be part of the solutions for these tough times.

If you believe in these core principles I would encourage you to come to one of our meetings and listen to our speakers. I think you’ll be surprised.

Walt Schrader, Federal Way